The present disclosure relates to a system and method for failure detection.
Gearbox module failure detection is often provided by a magnetic chip detector. The detector collects magnetic particles caused by degradation of gear and bearing components within a gearbox housing and triggers a warning indicative of a potential failure. The detector operates in the presence of ferrous material such that when a single magnetic chip, or a collection of smaller chips suffices to bridge a gap in the magnetic chip detector completes an electrical circuit and a warning is triggered.
Sealed bearings typically have a grease lubricated bearing element with no active monitor. Over time, the sealed bearing may wear. This results in spalling debris which is contained within the sealed bearing by grease seals. As the spalling debris is contained within the sealed bearing, potential failure of the sealed bearing may be difficult to monitor even when the sealed bearing is located within a gear module which has a magnetic chip detector.
Periodic inspections of the sealed bearing for wear, excess play and binding may be manually performed. Although effective, such maintenance may be time consuming and require disassembly of the gear module.